On 13 Jun 2023, the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will conduct its third public hearing in support of its inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2021–22.
The Subcommittee will hear evidence from an academic panel as well as the Department of Defence on the inquiry’s third focus item: Support to domestic crisis.
Chair of the Subcommittee, Mr Julian Hill MP, explained “In recent years Defence has been used increasingly as part of national responses to domestic crises. Recent examples include support to the COVID-19 pandemic, and numerous floods and bushfire events.
“The Subcommittee will hear how this seemingly near persistent requirement is impacting the organisation from a preparation, training, and capability perspective, as well as reviewing current policy and approaches to resourcing.
“Leading experts and senior Defence representatives will publicly share their views on this important matter which will also provide useful context as respective authors consider the 2024 National Defence Strategy.”
